Dawn
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and thirty-nine: SUNSHINE GIRLS #7 Before they were the sunshine girls, they were a couple of four-year-olds who met and became friends.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth cycle. Now here's cycle 7!_

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**"Dawn"  
Young Rachel & Quinn  
Sequel to Divergence, Sunshine, Beams & Rays, Solar Eclipse, Let the Sunshine In, and Sunrise, Sunset**

It had been a completely random chance which had brought the two girls together. They were barely four years old, and they were part of different worlds, different circles. But there was one place where those circles crossed.

Every child in Lima loved Dr. Russell. There was a reason she was the only paediatrician in town… none of the others could compete with her. For the most part, everyone had their 'day.' Judy Fabray would take in Quinn on Tuesday appointments, while 'Pop' would take Rachel on Fridays. Their paths would never have crossed if not for a clerical error.

Pop had been picking up Rachel from dance class when Dad called: There had been a mistake, and Rachel's Friday appointment with Dr. Russell was slated on that day, in less than half an hour. It would have to be a speedy drive for them to arrive on time.

Pop ran up into the office carrying his daughter, still in her tap shoes and her red tutu. He put her down in a free chair, next to a little blonde girl, while he checked in with the receptionist.

Rachel was kicking her legs about, looking at her shiny shoes. The girl in the next chair started kicking her legs too, not even realizing she was doing it. When they saw one another's legs moving just about at the same time as their own, it broke them into a giggle fit. Judy Fabray, who'd been reading, lowered her magazine at the sound. She smiled, seeing the brown-haired girl in the tutu. "Hello." Both girls looked back to Judy.

"Hi," Rachel spoke up.

"What's your name?" Before she could answer, Pop had returned.

"Alright, Rae Rae, won't be long." Looking over, he spotted the blonde woman and her daughter. "Hello."

"Hello," Judy replied. "Is this your daughter?" she indicated Rachel. He was used to the confusion at seeing him and Rachel as family.

"Yes, this is my Rachel," he smiled down to his girl before looking back to the woman. "Al," he held out his hand.

"Judy," the woman shook it. The girls, seeing this, looked to one another, imitating them.

"Rachel," she held out her hand to the blonde.

"Quinn," she shook it, and they laughed once again.

For the next few minutes the girls talked, the parents talked. When Quinn's turn came, the girls protested being separated. Pop offered for them to meet up again afterward. Seeing how her daughter nodded ever energetically, clinging to her and begging, Judy agreed. So after both appointments were through, the two families had gone to the park. Despite her initial expectations, Judy Fabray got along with Al. And their daughters had made fast friends, so she accepted the offer when he suggested more play dates between the girls.

After a few more outings to the park like this, it was Quinn who had first come to the Berry home to play with her friend a few weeks later. They went and played around in the backyard for a while before lunch time and hunger brought them back inside. As they sat and ate, they were side by side and, as such, they could see Pop as he stepped out into the hall to take a call.

They were exchanging veggies – Rachel liked beans but not carrots, while Quinn loved carrots but could not even touch beans – when Pop's voice went up one second and lowered the next. The girls shared a look, then turned back to Pop in the hall. Rachel climbed off the chair and moved closer to Quinn to better see what was happening.

"He's upset," Quinn commented, and Rachel nodded.

"What's going on?" she wondered out loud. Quinn shrugged.

Seeing that he was hanging up, Rachel scurried to get back in her chair. As Pop returned, the girls were diligently eating their vegetables. Pop took his plate, which was still on the kitchen counter, and came to sit with the girls. He took a bite, but it had gotten cold. With a sigh he got up and went to put his plate in the microwave. Alone again, the girls shared a concerned look. He was definitely upset, and they didn't like that.

Pop ate in silence, and the girls barely made a peep, so worried for him. Even as they'd finished eating, they watched him take away the plates, lost in his own little world. Eventually, he went to sit in the living room, putting on music but not really listening to it. The girls stood just outside the room, eventually moving up to him, each climbing on either side of him on the couch.

"Pop?" Rachel spoke up, tapping his shoulder. He looked at her. "Don't be sad," she shook her head slowly. He smiled with sadness, pinching her chin lightly, which made her smile too.

"I'm sorry, Rae Rae, I just… I got a bad phone call. A friend who was very sick, he… he went away," he tried to explain as cautiously as possible, in presence of the two four-year-old girls.

"My Nana she went away too," Quinn piped in. Pop turned to look at her. "I'm sorry," she told him. Pop gave her a smile and a chin pinch as well. She giggled, looking at Rachel.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked her father. Pop sighed, putting his arm around her.

"I will be, don't you worry, okay?" he kissed the side of her head. "You girls just be happy and that'll make me happy."

The girls shared a look, oddly in tune at that moment… mischief grabbed a hold of their faces, and a moment later, Pop was embraced with a group hug, very much a tackle. Pop startled and the girls erupted into laughter. Staring down at them, he couldn't help but smile. They had filled him up with such warmth. Pop let out a breath.

"Alright, you got me… All hail the all mighty sunshine girls…"

THE END


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